"Everyone you ever loved, Sensei." Suteko and Jaeoh both spun about, power flaring in each hand in reaction. Stepping out of the Cave, Aki bowed first to Suteko and then to the sprit. "Or so Kaneda believes."
Jaeoh prepared to attack but Aki shook his head. "I'm not here to battle Draco."
"Then why Aki," Suteko asked softly. "Are you here to talk me into surrender to your Master?"
Before Aki could answer the Spirit did, "He is fulfilling his destiny now, and it is not to take you back," the form floated over to the young man. "Are you boy?"
Aki shrugged, his eyes hidden by his bangs. "I haven't decided yet dead man." He leaned back and pulled out a cigarette. Flicking his thumb, he lit it and took a drag before raising his eyes to look at his past sensei. "That depends on you Sensei." Eyeing Jaeoh, he stepped closer to the Cave. "Is what this dead man says true? Are you the ancient prince reborn in a modern time?"
Jaeoh shrugged. "Does it matter?"
Aki stepped back into the shadows. "Yeah, it does. It means that the Master was very wrong about something." He flicked the glowing butt into the shadows. "And if he was wrong about that, then maybe he is wrong about more."
Chapter Nineteen
Aki waited for the couple to leave the clearing before he stepped back into the open. Over the past few weeks Kaneda had been telling all his human/shadow servants that he was the prince reborn. That in his past life he had aligned with the wrong side and that once he had Suteko in hand, he would open the gate and bring balance back to the world. At fifteen Aki had fell hook, line and sinker for Kaneda's tale, believing that the ends justified the means but now his doubts were growing. "Old man, come out here!" He put a bit of power into the call, enough to tug the reluctant spirit back into the open. He heard a wheezing grumble before the ancient ghost faded in to view.
"You could have asked politely boy" Suteko's ancestor hid his smile as he read the aura of the young shadow general. Conflict was making the darkness lift from his aura. The newest revelations had washed the black out to a dull gray. Not back to the side of Light but the hold of the Shadows was weakened considerably.
Aki snapped his fingers, drawing the ghost closer. "Tell me old man," he took a breath and let it out slowly. "Was anything Kaneda told me the truth?"
Ichuru took pity on the young man before him but not without a dash of ornery. "What did you think Boy? A man who wants to own your sensei at any cost would tell you the plain, unvarnished truth?" He snorted and settled on the nearby rock. "That boy told you just what you wanted to hear and you wanted to believe."
Aki growled, "Don't talk down to me old man."
Ichuru smiled and shrugged. "You are still a cub to me boy. One who has made some very bad choices because he was a snot nosed brat who thought he was better than he was."
Aki's vision went red as the old man's ghost talked down to him. He gathered shadow power about his hand, preparing to toss it at the ghost when he caught the old man's smile. He had been pacing closer to the ghost, each step removing him from the influence of the Shadow cave. He looked down and his eyes widened. Surrounding him, scratched into the earth, was a series of runes. He let the shadow disperse from his fingers with a glare. Reaching out he found his hand stopped by a force field. "How dare you," he hissed.
"How? It is simple boy. You are not yet totally lost to Shadow." The ghost slid off the rock and came forward. As he did he slowly became less transparent, until he stood just outside the ring of runes, solid as a living being. "Though she did not ask anything of the Light, it has been decided that she will need an ally inside the Shadow court and you." He pointed a gnarled finger at Aki. "Boy, are it."
Aki snorted and crossed his arms. "Decided by whom old man?" Out of habit he pulled a cigarette and lit it with a flick of his thumb. The quick flash of white startled him and he dropped the cigarette to the ground. "What the..?"
"You can only access your inborn powers in the circle boy." Ichuru nodded and smiled. "Those borrowed Shadow powers will not work for you."
"You're wrong gramps, see." Aki tried to summon his Shadow whip. A faint image formed but much slower an much less solid than ever before. "What the hell!" He strained until he felt his head pound and sweat gathered on his brow. The more he tried to pull Shadow, the brighter the light emanating from the runes glowed. He kept trying till he felt something inside him tear away. Doubling over in pain, his hands went to his head. "Damn it all, what are you!
Ichuru settled on the ground beyond the circle of runes and smiled wide. "Once I was the guardian of the Cave of Shadows, now I am Initiator of the Light. You my boy are going to join the side of the angels."
"Let me out of here!" Aki threw himself at the shield and bounced back. The Light magic was stronger than he had ever seen. He bounced around the shield, trying to find a weakness, till he was drenched with sweat and collapsed to the ground. Panting, he glared up at the elder. "You can't keep me like this for long old man. The Shadows are building."
Ichuru just smiled and the Light built, till it was as bright as the noon day sun. "our shadows can not reach you boy and you cannot reach them now." The elder smiled wider. "You will stay in the circle till I am sure of you."
A contest of wills started then between the old and the young. Suteko would have been torn as she had fond memories of her once pupil but he was a thing of Shadow and the Light had decided to claim back just enough of him to weaken the Shadow Master. This time forces outside of men were tipping the balance. Forces that meant to wrench the world back into a true balance.
***
Suteko rested against Jaeoh as he threaded his way back to the Dojo. The ghost had imparted more to her than Jaeoh knew. The shadows were massing again in preparation for another assault on the Guardian of the Gate. She had been given both instructions and hints of where to look. In her pocket rested eight rings, simple bands of white jade. Each was marked with a simple sigil to mark who they were for. The ghost whispered in her mind that she should give them out before the moon had filled its belly. She quickly cast a look at the rising moon. It was three days from the full moon. Three days till whatever it was would happen. Closing her eyes, she tightened her arms about Jaeoh and silently prayed. Three days till the confrontation that would mark the end of this tale and they weren't ready in her opinion. The ghost told her that help would be forthcoming but to not expect it till much later.
Jaeoh felt Suteko's arms tighten as he raced the night back home. While seeing her former student had surely brought up painful memories, she hadn't seemed either angry or hurt. Something had passed between the ghost and his lover, something he didn't quite catch. As they headed home, he felt a tug mentally. Instead of turning toward home he cut to a side street and sped toward one of the places they were guarding. The tug grew stronger and within moments they were at the Cat Cafe. Sounds of battle echoed about in the night as he pulled to a stop. As one they swung off the motorcycle, hooking their helmets on the handles. Suteko took off, her backpack hitting the ground with a muffled squawk, Jaeoh just a moment later.
Suteko scanned the scene before her and froze. Running toward the Shadows was Ranma. He had grown a bit in the years since she hands left Nerima. He flew into battle, his hands flashing with blue light as he struck the Shadow forms. His form was cleaner and there was less show to his actions. He had obviously grown as a martial artist in the years she had been away. Now he had focus and more control than any she had seen. She cursed as she spotted three massive Bearlike Oni charging toward him. She started to dash to his side when she felt Jaeoh hand holding her back.
She turned to duck away from his hand when he held up a softly glowing white crystal. Her hand went into her pocket and she blinked. Normally the crystal was always found in her pocket. It dawned on her after a moment that she had sent her crystal to Jaeoh when she thought she would die in the Shadow realm. She had not thought about it since then. He took her hand and placed it in her palm. The crystal
flared with a bright light and she nodded. It would be best if she was Unicorn when she joined her brother. He would not recognize her that way. Holding up her crystal, she quickly transformed for the first time since her torture.
As the power and pure Light flowed through her she felt a pain for the first time during transformation. A quick, stabbing pain hit her in the thigh but she shrugged it off. She cast back and threw multiple Light blasts at the creatures charging her brother.
Ranma fell into his battle mode where everything around him was analyzed and the minor creatures were ignored. Seven years ago he was the best of his generation, able to take on any human, cursed human or minor godling that came his way. After a battle that he still struggled to fully remember his focus and drive had changed. No longer was he the wild arrogant boy. He had chosen his bride and helped his friends to settle down as happy families. During that time he had discovered his family history and his destiny. He had fought many battles in a realm outside of his home, learned to wield Chi like a blade and nearly died a few times. The most recent battle had been the closest to death he had ever been, he had brought his bride home safely and planned on keeping her here. While he was no longer vane and wild, he was still confident in his abilities as a martial artist. He had become a serious man with new talents and abilities. He had felt the threat to Shampoo, Mousse and their twin daughters. Leaving a heavily pregnant Akane in Kasumi's capable hands, he rushed out to protect his friends.
When he arrived, Shampoo was down and Mousse was using his chains to knock back the massive bearlike Onis. Creatures of myth and legend had been popping up all over Tokyo. Creatures that he had fought in the other realm but had never expected to see this side of the Shadow Gate. The Chinese couple were exhausted from helping defeat an army of furry man beasts just outside of Nerima.
He sent out a shimmering ball of blue energy that smashed into the back of one of the beasts. With a howl it turned and charged him, fangs dripping a black ichor that sizzled on the ground. Within moments his fists were flying, his hands making shadow flesh fly with each blow that rained down. As he dispatched one beast a bright flash burst behind him. Momentarily distracted one of the Oni managed a bone jarring blow to the side of Ranma's head. The blow sent him crashing into a nearby wall. Bouncing back up, shaking his head to clear it, Ranma saw the two strangers who had waded into the battle.
To the left was a man with green fire flickering around a drawn katana. He was dressed like a street punk in jeans and a black silk jacket that had a green coiled dragon on it. He wielded the sword like a true sword master. He flowed with the blade, evading the massive claws that came crashing toward him. At his side was a woman dressed in a silver and white glowing fuku.
She looked like the Sailor Senshi who fought across the big city from here but different. Something about the woman rang bells in his head but he didn't have to time to figure it out. Seeing the blade made of Light in her hands and how easily it cut through the Shadow beasts, he mimicked it and laid into the massive creature before him. The blue energy sliced through the Oni and while he wasn't a master, his sword work made quick work of the Oni before him.
As the beasts turned to battle the new threat, Mousse dropped to his wife's side, carefully moving her out of harm's way. The creature had caught the pink-haired vixen across her side, leaving behind four furrows. He staunched the blood with his sleeves, and then he too looked to the two strangers. Having finally gotten contacts, he no longer lost his glasses during battles. Like Ranma he found something familiar about the glowing white fighter.
Ranma sprang toward the two fighters as more creatures arrived. The two spun, slashed and parried as one. The Onis all changed their focus from the Chinese couple to the newcomers.
Suteko fought the creatures ruthlessly, each swing making her Light blade flash brighter. As her current opponent scattered to pieces with a hideous cry she saw two Oni closing Ranma's back. Without thinking she cried out. "Ranma! Duck!" She then tossed her blade in a hard line drive toward the beasts just behind him.
Ranma instinctively ducked, spinning about in time to watch the larger Oni explode and the Light blade fly back toward the woman's hand. "Pay attention, Little brother!" Ranma started to snap back but the other Oni behind him attacked. He was quickly involved in another battle.
Jaeoh's blade flashed as he removed the head of the Oni before him. "He is escalating Unicorn!" He turned and his eyes widened as she disarmed herself as another moved to wrap its claws about her. "Suteko!" He lunged as she leapt up and his blade bisected the creature. She back flipped and landed at his side, her blade slapping into her palm. He let out a relieved breath and glared at her. She simply shrugged and got back to work.
Within minutes Ranma, Suteko and Jaeoh had destroyed all of the shadow Oni. As the last creature exploded into dust with one of their eerie screams Suteko moved to where Shampoo lay and started to lay her gloved hands over the wounds. Mousse's hands flew out and grasped her wrists, stopping her. "Who are you?" he asked in a harsh, trembling voice.
Putting a soothing pulse of energy into her voice Suteko answered. "Sailor Star knight Unicorn." She looked down at her hands and smiled. "Please. Let me help. The Shadow taint will poison the wound if I don't remove it now."
Mousse stared into the pleading green eyes and nodded. Suteko rested her hands just above the wounds and fed her Light into the rents. Due to Shampoo's nature this was much easier than when she tried to remove the taint from Rage. Humming softly, she forced the taint from the wound. Mousse and Ranma could see a dark shadow lift from Shampoo's body and before it could try to escape to someone else a green energy dragon form latched onto it and tore it to shreds. Then it dissipated into the air.
Sitting back on her heels, Suteko scanned the street. All the shadows were normal. She could sense no sentience within her reach. Jaeoh placed a hand on her shoulder, silently urging her to go. Ranma and Mousse stared at her, questions in their eyes. Ranma opened his mouth to ask the question hanging in the air when Dr Tofu ran up from behind with Cologne on her staff. The elder let out a pained gasp as she saw her great grandchild on the ground, bleeding.
Tofu ignored the glowing couple and moved Mousse out of the way. He swiftly checked her wounds, pulled out a pressure bandage and calmed the worried warrior. He started whispering instructions as his hands mixed a paste to clean and tend the injury. Between instructions he managed to check over and handle the injuries that Mousse had collected.
The elder bounced over to Suteko. "Did you?"
Suteko nodded. "I caught it early. She will be fine." Her musical voice soothed the fear of the elder. "Tofu-san should take her back home. The wound wasn't too deep." She cast a quick look at her brother. "We have to go Cologne-sama. You know why." Cologne nodded as Suteko grabbed Jaeoh's hand and they vanished from sight.
Ranma took a step forward, and then his jaw dropped. Turning to the ancient Amazon he glared. "Who was that, Ghoul? And better yet how did they do that?" Cologne shushed him with a rap to the head and turned to her family. Together Ranma and Tofu took the couple back inside of the Cafe and got them settled down to rest.
A Step away Suteko watched her brother unseen. Jaeoh could see the longing and disappointment on her lovely face. The weird place she had pulled them leached the colors form the world but her eyes glowed green here. He reached out and pulled her away from her family toward his bike. After one last look she turned and they dashed back down the street.
Popping behind a wall she dropped her transformation and picked up the pack from the ground. The cats had obviously crawled out and left during the battle. Wrapping his arms about her Jaeoh held her till he felt her shudder and relax. Silently they mounted the motorcycle and went home.
***
Inside the Cat Cafe Ranma was badgering the Amazon elder. "What do you mean you can't tell me? Come on Cologne, that woman, who is she?"
Cologne sighed as made sure her grandbabies where sleeping. "Ranma, not now. She will come and
tell you who she is when things calm down. For now just believe me that the couple you just fought with are doing their best to protect this world."
Ranma started to argue but just then his cell phone rang and he looked down. With a panicked look he thrust it back in his pocket and turned to dash off. "If it wasn't for Akane needing me right now we would settle this. Don't think I won't get the answer ghoul." He smiled to take the sting out of the old insult and then bounded off over the roofs toward home and his annoyed and pregnant wife.
Tofu came out of the couple's bedroom and looked over the elder. "Cologne-san I think you need to come home with me for some of Kasumi's home cooking. You look too tired to do more."
Cologne blinked and then smiled. "If it would be no trouble?"
Tofu smiled and shook his head. "You know Kasumi. She is expecting you to come over for dinner." The elder nodded and followed him out. Closing the Cafe and locking up.
***
An hour later.
"But who is she, Cologne?"
The elder turned to look at another she considered a student. Though a trained doctor, Tofu felt he could never stop learning. She debated briefly and then sighed. "You won't remember her but she is ex-son-in-law's sister."